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T - Buckinghamshire Vocabulary

The following list of words are quoted from three articles published in the "Records of Buckinghamshire" by Alfred Heneage Cocks, M.A, between 1897 and 1909 (some editing has been used to produce a unified list). See the introduction for further details..

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TACK, to hire pasturage for cattle. "The horse was put out to tack in a field." S. Bucks Free Press, July 26, 1895. Also, Tack and Tackle = any substance, as food, etc. "that's what I call cheese; that be good tack, begoy." The latter also = as loc. cit.
TACKLE, farm implements, harness, etc. See also Tack.
TAKE, TO, The preterite is often redundantly used. "I took and gin 'im a slap side o' th' ear-'ole." "I done no moore, but I took and lammed into the job, and 't wur done afore you could say Jack's-your-master."
TAKE ON, to grieve, lament.
TAKE ONE'S DANIEL, TO, see Daniel.
TALK BROAD, TO, to talk impertinently.
TAMPIN, a piece of white-thorn wood, about 7 or 8 inches long, to which one end of a hanser cord (quod vide) is made fast. The hanser is then run inwards through a hole in the gunwale of the barge, and hangs ready for use, the tampin stopping the other end from passing through the gunwale.
TANDRA, or TANDREW WHIGS, little cakes which were formerly eaten on (sain)t Andrew's day. Cf. "Old 't Andrew's Day" (December 11) in my "Church Bells of Bucks," p. 280; also 515 (Marsh Gibbon), 546 (Padbury), and 594 (Thornborough). Cf. also tawdry from (sain)t Audrey, for Ethelreda; on whose day (17th October) a fair was annually held in the Isle of Ely (and probably elsewhere), at which laces and gay toys were sold.
TANKET, TO, to follow persistently as a kitten: "What do ye want, then, tanketin' arter me all the whoild?"
TANTADLIN, a small round open tart is called a tantadlin tart. Query, Tante Adeline? Halliwell gives the word in this sense, and two other forms - tantablin, and tantablet.
TAR-NETTLE, tarred-twine.
TAYLOR, the Bleak (= a fish, Alburnus lucidus).
TEELER, the peg which holds the noose of a rabbit-snare in position. Halliwell gives Teel, with four meanings: the first and third are: to place anything in a leaning position (Wilts), and to set a trap (Devon).
TEEN, TO, to kindle, to be kindled. AS tendan, to kindle. Norw. Toende. Swed. Tända. The root is seen in Tinder.
TERRIFY, to irritate, annoy.
THACK, for thatch.
THAT, used as a demonstrative pronoun much more freely than in book English, = it, in many ways. "Law! that pricked up that's ears and that snarled sommat offul." "Wooll ye pay what I ax?" "No, that I wu'n't." "That don't rain nuthin' much." "If you ain't got a Jersey, 'awever, ner yet a brindool for milkin', ner nothin' o' that, that (i.e. the milk) never does look so good, not when it's separated." Also used as an adverb, = to such a degree, so, very, etc.: "Aw, that looked that sly."
THAVE, a ewe-lamb.
THEIR-SEN, for themselves.
THICK, "He's got it thick in for him"; = he has a grudge against him.
THILL, a shaft of a cart [probably obsolete, except in composition] -HORSE or THILLER, shaft-horse, -HARNESS, shaft-harness. FILLER, or FILLEST-HORSE.
THING-A-MY, THING-A-MIGHTY, used in place of a word or name one cannot remember, in the same way as what's-his-name. Also used as a term of humorous contempt: "Oh, 'im! Sich a thing-a-my as 'im wouldn't do no good."
THISSELIES, fistulas, haemorrhoids.
THRAIL, for flail.
THREAD-OF-LIFE, the hanging plant "mother-of-thousands" (Linaria cymbalaria).
THROSH, for thrush.
THROW OFF, A, a hint. "She give him a throw off."
THROW ONE'S WEIGHT ABOUT, TO, to put on airs.
THRUMMETY, frumenty.
THRUSHER, also THRESHER, and THRASHER, a Thrush.
THUNDER-HEADS, round heads of cloud in a heavy bank, portending thunder.
THURRA, for furrow.
TIBBER, used in addressing a cat = puss.
TICKET, "that's the ticket" = that's right.
TICKETY, the Wren (Troglodytes parvulus).
TIDDLY-BUMP, a descriptive word, indicating the manner of a fall. "He come tiddly-bump down the batter (= slope)."
TIDDY, TINNY, TEENY; for tiny. "A little tiddy thing." See Titty.
TIDY (adverb), fairly, passably. "He's tidy well-to-do."
TIG, the game "touch-wood". Tickle has the same root.
TIGGLE, TO, to tickle: to go at an easy pace, at a jog-trot etc. "I saw some ol' swans come tigglin' over t'ords Mars'on (Marston)." "'Ere comes old Bob's pooany tigglin' along."
TILL, used for while. Also, the locker in the stern of a punt. Palsgrave has "Tyll of an almery," which Skeat explains as "a kind of cupboard or cabinet."
TILLER OUT, of corn, etc. to germinate, to spread by throwing shoots from the root. "The oats tillered out so that there were as many as 19 straws to one corn sown."
TIME AND AGAIN, often, frequently.
TIT, a nag (horse); a mare? TO TIT OFF, to die. TIT OVER, to tumble over, to overturn. Tit is for tilt, or tip. "His cart wheel come bang agenst a post, and over it tit, all the lot, man, missus, baby, and new-laid eggs."
TITTER, a fit of shaking, or trembling. "It's made me all of a titter." Also twitter.
TITTER-TOTTER, a see-saw (children's game).
TITTLEBAT, for stickleback (=fish, Gasterosteus).
TITTUP, to run or walk making a slight pattering noise. "I heard an old rat tittupping about overhead." "With his dog tittupping behind him."
TITTY, small, little. "Give it a titty tap," = hit it gently. "A titty wren" (commonly "tatty") = a little wren. Skeat says Tit is Scandinavian. [Tite is Danish for a Titmouse (Parus), and Titing is used in Norway for a Pipit (Anthus), but Tit is not used out of composition.] Titmouse is from Tit, small, and [A.-S.] máse, a name for several kinds of small birds.
TO-DO, a stir, bustle, commotion. "A great to-do."
TOWARD, see FRAM-ward
TODPOLE, a Miller's-thumb, or Bull-head (= a fish, Cottus gobio), apparently in distinction to the genuine Tadpole.
TOE-BITER, the Pond-snail (Limnæa stagnalis).
TOFT, a "swell," recently known as a "masher." Toft, like the latter, is no doubt, London slang, not a genuine S. Bucks word.
TOM THUMB, the lotus, or bird's foot clover (Lotus corniculatus). Also called Lady's-fingers or King-fingers, which see.
TOMMY, food, provisions; bread.
TOMMY-BAG, a bag for food.
TOPPINGS, see HUSK
TOT, a small drinking-horn, or mug. Also used as a verb: "Come, tot that beer out."
TOTTERS, for tatters. So tossel for tassel, and many other words.
TOUCH, time, occasion. It was said of a village club-feast: "We did have a rare touch, I can tell ye."
TOUCHER, "as near as a toucher," = "As near as no odds" = very nearly.
TRANSMOGRIFY, to transform completely.
TRAPE, TO, "to trape the dirt in," = to bring in to the house on the boots.
TRAPES, to stroll, or wander, about. Halliwell gives it as, to wander about; and as a substant., a slattern (both in various dialects); and the participle trapesing, as slow, listless (Northern counties). Also TO TRAPES, to tread with heavy dirty boots, to tread clumsily.
TREE-PECKER, the Tree-creeper (Certhia familiaris).
TRENCHER, A, a hearty eater, for "a good trencher-man."
TRIMMER, a big specimen of anything, including a big lie. Adj. TRIMMING.
TRINKLE, for trickle.
TRUCK, almost = rubbish. Any miscellaneous collection. "Let's have that truck out first." Also intercourse. "I'll 'a' no more truck with 'im," = "I'll have nothing more to do with him." [In this sense also I, usually pronounced trick].
TURK, applied in good humour to a mischievous child. "You young Turk." TO TURN TURK, to become unexpectedly hostile or formidable.
TURMUT, for turnip.
TUSH, for tusk, a canine tooth.
TUT, offence. "He soon takes tut."
TWELVEMONTH, nearly always used for the period of a year, probably in all parts of the county, and usually pronounced twel'month.
TWIGGLY, like a twig. "Yoy a'n't ought to 'it 'im wi' that, but wi' one o' these 'ere thin little twiggly sticks."
TWIPPER, to twinkle, flicker. "I 'ad me gun in me 'and and law! the lightnin' that jist did twipper along it." "They snipe be gallus 'ard to shoot; they do twipper and twirl about so."
TWITCH, couch grass (Triticum repens).
TWITTER, see Titter.